The Tensions between the Christian World View and the Pagan World View in Doctor Faustus

Abstract

Owing to a series of transformations in economies, politics and science, a great movement named The Renaissance spread throughout England during the 15th century to 17th century. The concept of humanism had gradually appealed to persons at that time. According to Main, people began to shift their interest into the secular world, pouring increasing attention into “human life here and now” rather than theology (par. 20). Nearly concurrent with the Renaissance was another revolutionary movement: the Reformation. A significant discrepancy lay between traditional Christians and Protestants, explicitly revealing itself in the two groups’s world views, i.e., the way they perceived the world. This essay will aim to explore the tensions between the two world views conveyed through Marlowe’s work: The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.